This invention relates to telephone answering and recording devices (hereinafter referred to as telephone answering devices), and more particularly to a device.
In conventional telephone answering devices, an endless outgoing tape in which answering terms such as a telephone number and a subscriber's name have been recorded in advance is driven in response to a calling signal so that the answering terms are transmitted to a caller, and the caller's message is recorded in a different tape, that is, an incoming message recording tape.
With respect to the answering terms, there are provided strict telephone regulations in some countries. That is, the name of a subscriber, or a receiver, having a telephone answering device, a telephone number, notification of recording and so forth must be recorded in the endless tape in advance. However, when a traveler uses such a telephone answering device at the destination of his travel, it is not always necessary to transmit the answering terms to callers. In other words, if the device is so designed that upon reception of a calling signal, a peculiar signal such as a small bird's twittering instead of the answering terms is transmitted to the caller, he will understand that he is calling a telephone answering device and start sending his message over the phone. Thus, the object of the telephone answering device can be achieved satisfactorily.
Popular cassette tape recorders or extremely small tape recorders are convenient for a traveller in recording messages at his staying place on a journey. Accordingly, the device according to this invention, which will be described later in detail, is connected to the tape recorder mentioned above with particular patch cords thereby to be ready for recording messages. Upon reception of a calling signal, the telephone lines form a loop circuit and the peculiar signal is transmitted to the caller. Thereafter, during a predetermined time period, signals are transmitted to let him know that he can continue to send his message.
When the predetermined time period is over, the loop circuit of the telephone lines is opened so that the device waits for the next calling signal. If the device is so designed that the operations thereof are carried out as briefly described above, the object of the telephone answering device can be achieved.
In addition, this invention relates to improvement of the devices of Japanese patent application No. 10875/71 and Japanese patent application No. 23006/72 laid open on Oct. 11, 1972. In the Japanese patent application No. 10875/71, three relays are employed, but in the present invention only one relay is employed for obtaining the same functions. Furthermore, the present invention is more advantageous in that it is simpler in construction, stabler in operation even if a voltage applied thereto is reduced due to the consumption of the voltage source, or batteries, smaller in size so as to be convenient in carrying it with the user, smaller in power consumption, and more practical as a portable device for recording incoming messages over telephone.